§3Περὶ σικύας.
On Cupping.
Σικύαι προκενωθέντων χρήσιμοι.
Cupping-glasses are useful when prior evacuation has been carried out.
πληθωρικῶν γὰρ ὑπαρχόντων οὐ χρησόμεθα ταύταις.
For when patients are in a plethoric state, we shall not use them.
τῷ δὲ αὐτῷ λόγῳ κἀπὶ τῶν κατ’ ἐγκέφαλον καὶ μήνιγγας φλεγμονῶν οὐ χρησόμεθα σικύαις ἐν ἀρχῇ τῶν παθῶν, ὥσπερ οὐδ’ ἐπ’ ἄλλου μορίου φλεγμαίνοντος οὐδενὸς, ἀλλ’ ὅταν μὴ ἐπιῤῥῇ μηδὲν ἔτι καὶ προκενώσωμεν ὅλον τὸ σῶμα, χρεία τε γένηται ἢ κινῆσαί τε καὶ ἐκμοχλεῦσαι τὸ καταφλεγμαῖνον, ἢ πρὸς τοὐκτὸς ἐπισπάσασθαι.
By the same reasoning, also in the case of inflammations of the brain and meninges, we shall not use cupping-glasses at the beginning of the diseases, just as [we do] not on any other inflamed part either, but when nothing flows in any longer and we have evacuated the whole body, and a need arises either to move and dislodge the inflamed matter, or to draw [it] toward the outside.
γενομένων δὲ ἔτι τῶν παθῶν, οὐκ αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἀρχομένοις κάμνειν μέλεσιν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς συνεχέσιν αὐτῶν ἐπιθετέον τὴν σικύαν ἀντισπάσεως ἕνεκεν.
But while the diseases are still active, one must apply the cupping-glass, for the sake of revulsion, not to the very parts that are beginning to suffer, but to those continuous with them.
κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν δὲ τοῖς ἀποκρουστικοῖς χρηστέον.
And at the beginning, one must use repellent remedies.
σικύα δύναται τὴν ὕλην κενῶσαι, ὀδύνην λῦσαι, φλεγμονὴν μειῶσαι, ἐμπνευμάτωσιν διαφορῆσαι, ὀρέξεις ἀνακτήσασθαι, ἄτονον στόμαχον τονώδη ποιήσασθαι, λειποθυμίας ἀπαλλάξαι, τὰ ἐκ τῶν βάθεων μεταφέρειν ῥεύματα καὶ ξηρᾶναι καὶ αἱμοῤῥαγίας ἐπισχεῖν, καὶ ἐμμήνων φθοροποιοὺς δυνάμεις ἑλκύσαι, καὶ ἔμμηνα κουφίσαι.
The cupping-glass is able to evacuate the matter, to relieve pain, to reduce inflammation, to disperse flatulence, to restore appetites, to make an atonic stomach toned, to dispel fainting fits, to transfer the flows from the depths and dry [them] up, and to check hemorrhages, and to draw out the destructive forces of the menses, and to ease menstrual flow.
§4Περὶ ἐγχαράξεως καὶ κατασχασμοῦ.
On Scarification and Bloodletting.
Ἐγχαράξομεν μέρη τοῦ σώματος, ἤτοι φλεγμαίνοντα, ἢ σκιῤῥούμενα, ἢ τεταμένα, ἢ ἐπωδύνως ἔχοντα, ἢ ῥευματισθέντα, ἤδη στάσιν εἰληφότος τοῦ ῥευματισμοῦ, ἢ δριμείας ὕλης παρακειμένης, ἢ ἰώδους δυνάμεως ἔξωθεν ἐμπεσούσης, ἢ βουλόμενοι μεταγαγεῖν ἐξ ἑτέρων μερῶν εἰς ἄλλο τὴν ὕλην.
We shall scarify parts of the body, either when they are inflamed, or indurated, or tense, or painful, or affected by a flow, when the flow has already come to a standstill, or when sharp matter is adjacent, or when a venomous force has fallen in from the outside, or when we wish to transfer the matter from other parts to another.
οἷον σκέλη κατασχάζομεν κεφαλῆς πεπονθυίας ἢ πλεοναζούσης ὕλης ἐν τῷ σώματι μειῶσαι θέλοντες.
For example, we scarify the legs when the head is affected or when we wish to reduce the redundant matter in the body.
καὶ μάλισθ’ ὅταν ὁ πλεονασμὸς γένηται δι’ ἐποχὴν ὕλης εἰωθυίας ἀποκρίνεσθαι συνήθως.
And especially when the redundancy arises because of the retention of matter that is accustomed to be discharged habitually.
οἷον αἱμοῤῥοΐδων ἐπισχεθεισῶν ἐγχαράσσομεν σκέλη προλουσάμενοι ἢ ἐν θερμῷ πυριᾷν ἢ σπόγγῳ.
For example, when hemorrhoids are suppressed, we scarify the legs after having bathed them beforehand, or applying fomentation either with heat or with a sponge.
τὸ μὲν γὰρ φλέβα διελεῖν πολλάκις τοῦ ἔτους οὐκ ἐπιτήδειον ἐνόμισα.
For I have considered that cutting a vein many times a year is not suitable.
ἅμα γὰρ αἵματι πολλῷ συνεκκρίνεται τὸ ζωτικὸν πνεῦμα.
For together with much blood, the vital spirit is secreted at the same time.
τούτου δὲ ἀναλισκομένου πυκνότερον ὅ τε ὅλος ὄγκος καταψύχεται καὶ πάντα τὰ ψυχικὰ ἔργα χεῖρον γίνεται.
And when this is consumed too frequently, both the whole mass is chilled and all psychic activities become worse.
διὰ τοῦτο ἀπὸ τῶν ἀκυρωτέρων, οἷον σκελῶν, τὴν ἀφαίρεσιν δεῖ ποιεῖσθαι.
For this reason, one must make the extraction from the less vital parts, such as the legs.
ὠφελεῖ δὲ ἡ ἐγχάραξις καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς χρονίως ῥευματιζομένους καὶ κεφαλῆς διαθέσεις καὶ τὰ περὶ θώρακα καὶ μετάφρενα καὶ συνάγχας καὶ σφηνώσεις.
And scarification benefits also eyes chronically affected by flows, and conditions of the head, and those around the chest and the back between the shoulders, and quinsies and obstructions.